Pokemon : The Master of Dragon-Types

Chapter 473 473: 473. Erick

Black Dragon City.

Coming back to this border town in the South-Western region felt different this time. No mission briefing, no tight deadline hanging over him. Jacob felt the difference in his shoulders before he consciously registered it — something looser, more alert in a quieter way.

"The auction is the day after tomorrow evening. We have until then." June had traded whatever she usually wore for a thick knitted sweater and a white woollen hat that made her look younger than Jacob expected. "Want to get a battle in while we're here?"

"Absolutely not." Jacob shook his head before she'd even finished the sentence. "We work first. Two days is enough time to look around properly if we don't waste it."

June read his expression and didn't push. "Fair enough. But be careful — the Qi Family is backed into a corner right now. Desperate people make unpredictable choices. If they catch wind of us sniffing around, they won't hesitate." She paused, then added more carefully: "You should consider borrowing a Champion-level Pokémon from Champion Colby for backup. Or ask your master for a peak King level Flying-type at minimum."

It wasn't an unreasonable suggestion. The Old Family head was still alive. Whatever the family had lost, the patriarch likely still had a Champion-level Pokémon at his disposal — and a man with nothing left to lose and everything to protect was exactly the kind of opponent Jacob didn't want to underestimate.

June's own grandfather had arranged a Champion-level Pokémon to accompany her for the same reason.

"Understood. Don't worry — I'll be careful. Let's split up and meet tomorrow."

"Okay."

They parted at a corner, and Jacob made his way alone through Black Dragon City's streets.

He found a quiet alley, checked that no one was nearby, and slipped on his Ditto Mask. His features shifted and settled into something unrecognisable. Satisfied, he turned and headed in the direction of the Qi Family's estate.

The Qi Family's main compound had been built into the base of Black Dragon Mountain, the mansion rising against the slope behind it. From the foot of the mountain, the scale of the place was immediately apparent — broad walls, sweeping rooflines, the kind of architecture that announced wealth and expected deference.

Two months ago, that entrance would have been busy at almost any hour. A constant flow of visitors, associates, people who wanted something from the Qi Family or owed them something — the kind of foot traffic that came with real power.

Now the gate stood largely quiet.

The deaths of Emilio and Adonis, along with the loss of several Champion-level and near-Champion-level Pokémon, had torn through the family's foundation faster than anyone outside had fully reckoned with. What had taken generations to build had begun unravelling in weeks.

Old Family head was still there. But he was old — past the age where high-intensity battles were realistic, past the point where his presence alone could hold the family's position. He could anchor the household. He couldn't reverse its decline.

And decline, on its own, might have been survivable. Families weathered difficult periods. But the Qi Family had spent years accumulating enemies — people they'd pushed around, deals made and broken, grudges carefully nursed. Those people had been patient while the Qi Family was strong. They weren't being patient anymore.

The sound of shattering porcelain came from behind closed doors before Jacob had even reached the inner courtyard.

Inside, Erick stood rigid in front of the desk, jaw tight, breathing hard. The remains of an ornamental vase were scattered across the floor at his feet.

"My brother has been gone barely two months," he said, his voice low and clipped with anger, "and they're already circling. This is completely out of line."

The maid nearby kept her eyes down, her shoulders drawn in. She knelt quietly to collect the broken pieces, moving carefully, making herself small.

After a moment, the tension in Erick's frame eased by degrees. He lowered himself back into his chair and pressed his fingers to his temple.

This wasn't the first time he'd lost his composure since taking charge of the family. It probably wouldn't be the last.

The allies who had seemed so reliable six months ago were pulling back — subtly, politely, but unmistakably. Even the Tan family, who had been the closest to the Qi Family and were connected by marriage, had started keeping a careful distance. Nobody wanted to be standing too close when the structure finally gave way.

Erick stared at nothing in particular.

If they couldn't secure a powerful alliance soon — a real one, not the kind of symbolic support that evaporated under pressure — he couldn't see a way through. The Qi Family's position in the Underground World had depended on strength and fear in equal measure. The strength was gone. The fear was fading. What remained wasn't going to hold for long.

He let out a long, slow breath. His gaze drifted to the maid still tidying the floor.

"Leave me. And don't let anyone in."

"Yes, sir."

The door closed softly behind her.

The silence settled around him. Erick leaned forward onto the desk, fatigue pressing in from all sides, heavier than he'd realised. His eyes grew heavy.

He told himself it was just a moment of rest.

He woke with a start.

The light in the room had shifted. He'd been asleep — properly asleep — for longer than he intended.

He lifted his head sharply — and froze.

A man he didn't recognise was sitting in the chair across the desk from him. Middle-aged, calm, watching him with an expression of mild patience.

The cold ran straight through Erick.

How long had he been sitting there? How had he gotten past the door?

He drew breath to call out — and the man spoke first.

"You're finally awake. I've been here a while."

Erick forced himself to stillness, breathing carefully, keeping his voice level. "Who are you? How did you get in here?"

"Who I am isn't the important part." Jacob — behind a borrowed face — looked at him evenly. "What matters is that I can help you. The Qi Family is in a difficult position right now. I can help you through it."

Erick said nothing. The wariness in his eyes was plain.

Jacob reached to his waist and produced a golden Yamask mask, settling it over his face as he spoke. "Let me be direct. I'm Priest - 6. I expect you've heard of my organisation God's Coffin." He let that sit for a moment. "With God's Coffin's backing, I believe the Qi Family has a real path forward."

The wariness in Erick's expression shifted not gone, but rearranged. God's Coffin.

He had heard of them. Everyone in certain circles had. Every confirmed member of God's Coffin was a trainer of exceptional ability, and every full member reportedly had a Legendary Pokémon. The fact that this man had entered his private study without triggering a single alarm spoke to a level of capability that was difficult to fake.

He couldn't be completely certain. But it was plausible — more plausible than most alternatives.

Erick studied the masked figure across from him, calculating. If this was genuine, God's Coffin's protection might be the alliance the Qi Family needed. But nothing like that came without a price, and he needed to understand what was being asked before anything else.

"What would you want from us in return?"

Jacob's expression shifted into something that wasn't quite a smile. "I got all of you out of a very dangerous situation. What do you think that's worth?" He left it a beat, then continued more plainly: "Two things. First, the Qi Family answers to me going forward. Second, I want everything you have on Giovanni."

He leaned forward slightly. "Giovanni had a confrontation with your family at an auction — I know that much. What I want to know is what Giovanni purchased at that auction, and what exactly the conflict was about."

Qi Linyu was quiet for a moment.

"That's not a decision I can make on my own," he said finally. "My father would have to agree."